Consumption and Treatment Services Site
A Consumption and Treatment Services Site (CTS) provides a safe and comfortable environment for people who use substances and offers an alternative for people who use alone. The CTS is well equipped with staff that can provide support and supervision to people who use substances through injection, nasal, or by mouth. Staff are trained to recognize and respond to adverse reactions, including overdoses.
Kingston's Consumption and Treatment Services Site (formerly known as Overdose Prevention Site) is located at the HARS Integrated Care Hub at 661 Montreal Street, Kingston, and is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Frequently asked questions about the overdose prevention site:
| When can someone access the CTS? |
| Anyone is welcome to come to the CTS, which is open 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.. The doors close at 7 p.m., but anyone remaining in the CTS is still able to use their substance(s) while being supervised. The CTS is a drop-in service and does not require an appointment or a referral to access the site. |
| Who can access the CTS? |
| Anyone who uses substance through injection, nasal (snorting), or by mouth, can access the CTS at the HARS Integrated Care Hub. Unfortunately, due to improper ventilation, inhalation (smoking) cannot be accommodated. However, staff are happy to provide support, safe inhalation equipment, and education to reduce harm while smoking substances. |
| Who works in the CTS? |
The staff working in the CTS includes:
Staff are trained in reducing the harms of substance use including monitoring and responding to overdoses and training people on how to use naloxone. |
| What other services are available through the CTS? |
| During the CTS hours of operation, nasal spray naloxone kits, safe injection and safe inhalation equipment, and safe biohazardous disposal will be available. If someone would like to pick up a Naloxone kit or harm reduction supplies, but not access the CTS space, these services are also available on-site at the HARS Integrated Care Hub 7 days per week, 23 hours per day (closed daily from 10 to 11 a.m. for cleaning). |
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Why is a CTS needed in Kingston? |
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Kingston’s death rate from opioids is higher than the provincial average. One of the greatest risk factors for dying from an opioid overdose is using alone. The current drug supply is contaminated with toxic fentanyl analogues and using alone may result in death. When someone is overdosing they are unable to call 9-1-1 or administer Naloxone to themselves. In 2017, there were 1,263 overdose deaths in Ontario. As a response to this, the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care made provisions for community-based organizations to apply for overdose prevention sites. A CTS is only one community intervention in a multi-pronged approach to address the opioid crisis. Similar interventions in other provinces have shown them to be an effective way to respond to overdoses and to engage with a vulnerable population that doesn’t often seek out care and often experience many barriers to accessing health-related services. CTSs allow for engagement and connection to other services. |
| Will the presence of a CTS increase crime rates, and the number of improperly disposed of syringes, in the downtown area? |
| The present harm reduction programs like a CTS, will actually decrease the number of people using substances in public spaces, and significantly reduce incidences of publicly discarded syringes and injection-related materials. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that the presence of a CTS will increase behaviours such as: drug dealing, assaults, or robberies. |
| Who is responsible for the CTS in Kingston? |
| The CTS in our region represents a partnership between Street Health Centre, Frontenac Paramedic Services, HIV/AIDS Regional Services (HARS), and KFL&A Public Health. |